​The Central Corridor project includes the intersections with Sassafras Street Extension, State Street, and Holland Street. This is just one of several projects developed out of the Bayfront Parkway Study. Other projects proposed by the study include the East  Bayfront Project that is planned for construction in 2024, and future improvements on West Bayfront that are still in the early stages of design.

​No, the project is not designed to increase traffic volumes. It is designed to handle the predicted changes in traffic volume due to private developments along the Bayfront Parkway, such as the construction of retail shops and destination businesses. The anticipated traffic volume for the roadway in 2043 is 28,937 ADT (average daily traffic), which considers the devolvement plans and historic growth rate data. The proposed roadway improvements can adequately handle this traffic volume.

​No, the selected alternative is designed to minimize impacts to adjacent properties and no relocations are necessary. The Bayfront Parkway will remain one lane each direction within the project limits with additional turn lanes at each intersection.

​The overall plan started with work on supplement projects - Soldiers' and Sailors' Home Access Improvements (completed) and the 12th Street Traffic Signal Enhancements (completed). Additionally, work will be done at the intersection with Cranberry Street and in the area of Sixth Street in 2024. 

The contract for work on the Bayfront Parkway Central Corridor is to be awarded in late summer 2023. 

Due to the size and complexity of the project, it will be completed in multiple phases over several years. Work is expected to start in fall 2023 at the Sassafras Street Extension intersection. Work will finish there in 2024 and work will start at the State Street intersection. In 2025, work is likely to be focused on finishing at State Street and getting things underway at the Holland Street intersection. Work at Holland will continue in 2026. Finishing work throughout the entire project area is likely to happen in 2027.  This timeline was developed during the design phase of the project and could be altered by the contractor after the contract is awarded. 

Additional information on the timeline and the supplementary projects is available at www.PennDOT.gov/District1.

​Yes, there are several aspects of the selected alternative that address the concerns for increased safety and accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists. The plan includes three pedestrian bridges, enhanced street level cross walks at all intersections, completion of missing trail connections on the waterfront side of the parkway, bike lanes on State Street, and traffic calming measures throughout the corridor.     

​The Bayfront Parkway Central Corridor Project includes the construction of a new pedestrian bridge that the intersection with Holland Street. This bridge will feature a cable-stay design with a gradual switch-back design on the waterfront side for accessibility. On the bluff side, it will start partially up the hill, eliminating the need for pedestrians to travel the steep incline and increase ease of crossing for those with disabilities. For renderings of the bridge, go to the Holland Street page of the project website. 

​Among the safety enhancements of roundabouts is slower traffic speeds and pedestrian crossings with refuge areas. The Bayfront Parkway Project proposes two roundabouts, one at Holland Street and the other at Sassafras Street Extension. At each of these locations, pedestrians will be directed to cross in areas where traffic will be headed in a single direction. Pedestrians will cross the one direction of traffic and stop at a refuge area and then cross the other direction of traffic. This will eliminate the need for pedestrians to cross traffic heading in opposing directions. Cyclists will have the option to maneuver through the roundabout as a pedestrian or in the travel lanes. More information about Roundabouts and their safety enhancements in available on the PennDOT website. 

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Yes, the grade separated intersection to be constructed at State Street will enhance pedestrian safety in two major ways:

• First, the current plans create a smaller intersection at current street level that will decrease the length of the pedestrian crosswalk from 86 feet to 31 feet.
  
• Second, a traffic analysis of the intersection determined that once the grade separation is in place, average daily traffic at the street level intersection will decrease significantly.
  
• These improvements mean the pedestrians wanting to walk across the Bayfront Parkway at State Street will only have to cover nearly half the distance with less than a third of the traffic, which will be a substantial improvement to safety there. 
  

​Yes, the project impacts have been reviewed against the sensitive resources and the findings included but are not limited to:

• Wetlands and Waterways – Minimal wetland impacts, 0.015 acre, and no stream impacts.
  
• Noise – Projected noise levels (year 2040) and increases are below Federal Highway Noise Abatement Criteria and PennDOT Publication #24 guidelines.
  
• Air Quality – Evaluated when placed on the Transportation Improvement Program and conforms with the guidelines provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 
  
• Threatened and Endangered (T&E) Species – Coordinated and reviewed with he natural resources agencies that oversee T&E species and no impacts were identified.
  
• Coastal Zone Management (CZM) – Coordinated and reviewed with the Coastal Resource Management Team at the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the project was found to be consistent with the CZM Policy.
  
• Environmental Justice (EJ) – Upon analysis, it was determined that the selected alternative will result in no disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects on EJ communities:
  
• • The project will result in no displacements or significant environmental impacts;
    
  • The project will improve mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists; and  
    
  • The project public involvement included representatives of EJ communities and all information and meeting materials were/are made available in alternate languages.
    
• Water Quality – Project will follow national and state permitting processes which do not permit degradation of water quality including discharge rates and volume; stormwater controls, including green infrastructure, will reduce the rate and volume and as well as the pollutant load. 
  

Read the full Environmental Document online.

No, the project had a full environmental review as listed above. Categorical Exclusion, or CE, is a federal environmental category for projects that, upon analysis, were determined not to result in significant impacts. The process still requires a complete environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Read the full Environmental Document online.

​The project began as an EA due to the possibility of multiple alternatives with unknown impacts to the environment. As the project moved through design, a preferred alternative was selected, and environmental studies were completed on the sensitive resources within the project area. The studies found no individually or cumulatively significant impacts on the environment. For this reason, the project was downscoped from an EA to a Level 2 CE. The Level 2 CE process is still a complete environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Read the full Environmental Document online. 

​A peer review is an internal process where one consultant (peer) reviews the design work of the primary consultant to look for possible adjustments or improvements to the design. It includes a combination of meetings between the two consultant teams and PennDOT, such as an onsite field view, a design workshop and discussions with a peer review committee. In some instances, the independent reviews and calculations completed by the peer have led to recommendations for changes to the design.

​The consultant charged with each peer review will look at a variety factors to ensure the design is compliant with federal, state, and industry guidelines. Through a series of meetings, the consultant will see site conditions, evaluate traffic and safety needs, discuss conceptual traffic control strategies, and review other data collected related to the roadway. They will also review any concerns brought forth through the public involvement process to determine if there is a need for updates to the design to address those concerns.   

​The consultant charged with each peer review looked at a variety factors to ensure the design is compliant with federal, state, and industry guidelines. Through a series of meetings, the consultant reviewed site conditions, evaluate traffic and safety needs, discuss conceptual traffic control strategies, and  other data collected related to the roadway. They also reviewed any concerns brought forth through the public involvement process to determine if there is a need for updates to the design to address those concerns.  

​Yes, the results of the peer review will be shared with PennDOT, the Bayfront Parkway Project Action Committee as well as with City of Erie Council. Recommendations from the peer reviews were shared during to virtual workshops. To read the minutes from those workshops, visit the Public Involvement portion of the project website. 

​PennDOT, in coordination with its planning partners, has done many forms of public outreach since the Bayfront Parkway study began. Information, including feedback received, is continuously available online at www.PennDOT.gov/District1, and the Bayfront Parkway Project Facebook group. There have been numerous face-to-face public meetings and community outreach opportunities, including:

• 5 Public Meetings (520+ attendees)
  
• 4 Community Outreach Events (650+ attendees)
  
• 60 plus Stakeholder Meetings
  
• 10 Project Advisory Committee (PAC) Meetings (93 members)
  
• 11 Coordinating Committee (CC) Meetings (44 members)
  
• 3 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meetings (15 members)
  
• 2 Peer Review Workshops
  
• 1 Construction Career Fair in Collaboration with CareerLink
  

​Absolutely. The project continues to be open for public comment. Everyone is invited to let us know what they like about the project, any concerns they may have, or other information they think we should consider by using the Submit Comment Button found on all the project website pages.